Joker (New Earth)
In "Emperor Joker", a multi-part story throughout the Superman titles, the Joker steals Mister Mxyzptlk's reality-altering power, remaking the entire world into a twisted caricature, with everyone in it stuck in a loop. The Joker entertains himself with various forms of murder, such as killing Lex Luthor over and over and devouring the entire population of China. The conflict focuses on the fate of Batman in this world, with the Joker torturing and killing his adversary every day, only to bring him back to life and do it over and over again. Superman's powerful will allows him to fight off the Joker's influence enough to make contact with the weakened Mxyzptlk, who along with a less-powerful Spectre, encourages Superman to work out the Joker's weakness before reality is destroyed by the Joker's misuse of Mxyzptlk's power. As time runs out, Superman realizes that the Joker still cannot erase Batman from existence, as the Joker totally defines himself by his opposition to the Dark Knight; by this logic, the Joker would be incapable of destroying the entire universe, since he is incapable of doing so to Batman. This breaks the Joker's control, and Mxyzptlk and the Spectre manage to reconstruct reality from the moment the Joker disrupted everything, but Batman is left broken from experiencing multiple deaths. Superman has to erase Batman's memories of these events so that he can go on. Later, in an attempt to get him to come to terms with his mortality and have some sort of moral realization, a prison doctor informed the Joker he was going to die of a malignant tumor. Instead, the Joker decided he wanted to leave his mark on the world indelibly, and began a chain of chaotic events that would come to be known as "The Joker's Last Laugh." He used a variant compound of the Joker Venom to actually Jokerize all metahuman inhabitants of Slabside Penitentiary, driving them virtually into the same condition he was, but with the added benefit of having every single one of them completely loyal to him. The Joker's army ravaged the planet, combatting all of earth's heroes, but Batman was eventually able to thwart the attacks using an antidote he obtained from Harley Quinn. Harley was angry at the Joker for attempting to impregnate her without marrying her. Nightwing, falsely believing that Robin had been eaten in the ensuing madness by Killer Croc, caught up with the Joker and actually beat him to death. Batman, not wanting Nightwing to have blood on his hands, resuscitated the Joker and saved his life. In their attempt to destroy Batman, Hush and the Riddler convince and manipulate several other villains to help. Part of this includes fooling Bruce that his childhood friend Tommy Elliott is the latest victim of the Joker. This brings Batman to the brink of murdering the Joker; he is only stopped when former GCPD commissioner Jim Gordon talks him down by reminding him that by killing the Joker, Batman would become just another killer, and Jim refuses to let the Joker ruin Batman's life like that. In "Soft Targets", Joker begins a shooting spree with a high powered sniper rifle of where he murders Mayor Dickerson and the Superintendent, all in order to force the city to stay inside during the Christmas holiday. He then turns himself in to Gotham's Major Crimes unit, before revealing he's planted a bomb throughout the city, as a "Christmas present" for Batman, causing the M.C.U. to rush to save countless Christmas shoppers from death. Joker then begins a shooting spree in the Major Crimes Unit, where he kills several detectives only to be shot multiple times by Maggie Sawyer, as his bomb goes off leveling a now evacuated toy store, with Joker recovering in the hospital laughing at the carnage. In the "Under The Hood" arc, Jason Todd returns to life. Angry at Batman for failing to avenge his death, he takes over his killer's old Red Hood identity, abducts the Joker and attempts to force Batman to shoot him. Even though the Clown Prince of Crime is surprised that Todd is alive, the resulted antagonism between the former Dynamic Duo is even more rewarding to the villain than the Boy Wonder's death and apparently does not care whether he would die or not. The Joker was one of extremely few villains not drafted into Alexander Luthor's Secret Society of Super-Villains during the Infinite Crisis. Contrary to others like Catman, the Joker actually wanted to be a member of the Society, but the higher level members wouldn't let him join, which enraged him. While slaughtering a branch of the Royal Flush Gang on his warpath, the Joker was actually laughed at by the King who said "Don't you get it? The Joker's too Wild!" He then electrocutes him with his joke hand buzzer, before walking away and saying to himself, "That's not funny". Later, after the Society had been defeated, while Alex Luthor was planning what to do next he was ambushed by the real Lex Luthor and the Joker. Before allowing his brutal murder, Lex simply told his counterpart "You should've let the Joker play." In Salvation Run, when the majority of Earth's villains were deported to the Hell Planet, the Joker was actually responsible for his own entire camp. They were largely unconstructive, and even attempted to steal food and supplies from Lex Luthor's group, who were trying to find a way to escape. The conflict ended in actual one-on-one fisticuffs between Luthor and the Joker. Although the match was nearly even, the Joker ultimately overcame Lex before the entire villain community was forced to unite against an oncoming Parademon attack.Salvation Run #6 In Countdown #50, Jimmy Olsen interviews an incarcerated Joker about the murder of Duela Dent, who had called herself the Joker's Daughter. The Joker states that he never had any daughter, and expresses awareness of the Multiverse's existence and of shifts in reality. The Joker appears as he did before Batman #655. In Batman #655, a deranged police officer impersonating Batman named Josef Muller shoots the Joker in the face, leaving him physically scarred and disabled. After having undergone extensive plastic surgery and physical therapy, The Joker reappears in Batman #663 with a drastic new appearance, now permanently fixed with a Glasgow smile. While in intensive care at Arkham, the Joker develops a new, more lethal variant of Joker Venom, instructing Harley Quinn to use it to kill his former henchmen to signal his spiritual "rebirth". He then goes on a rampage through Arkham, attempting to murder Harley (her death being the final "punchline" of his rebirth) before being stopped by Batman. Since then, the Joker was offered a position on Doctor Hurt's conspiracy "the Black Glove" during the events of "Batman R.I.P.." During the events of R.I.P. Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum in an ambulance but is driven off a bridge by a Batmobile driven by Damian Wayne. Joker resurfaced under the guise of British journalist/detective Oberon Sexton. At the same time however, he operated as the Domino Killer, killing members of the Black Glove one by one. Dick Grayson, the current Batman, figures it all out and confronts Oberon about all the domino killings really being a set routine of jokes. Oberon takes off his mask to reveal the Joker grinning at his old foe, with his bullet wound to the head seemingly healed. After the Joker is arrested once more, he appears to underestimate the current Robin (Damian Wayne) by trying to win the Boy Wonder's pity. He receives a beating with a crowbar (mirroring Jason Todd's murder) from Robin, who he realizes is the son of his old foe after noting the resemblance between the child and the original Batman. The officers at GCPD ignore the Joker's pleas for help after they conclude that Robin can handle the villain easily. However, the Joker's apparent helplessness is yet another ruse. Feigning injuries from Robin's assault, he scratches Robin with a paralyzing toxin painted onto his fingernails, going on to reveal that he has once again manipulated events toward his own ends and mocking Robin for going so far as to provide his own crowbar (another reference to the murder of Jason Todd). Appropriating Robin's utility belt, the Joker escapes to execute his attack on the Black Glove, unleashing his signature venom on an audience gathered under Professor Pyg (via tainted popcorn) and guiding Batman and his allies to a climactic confrontation. The Joker is seen in an undisclosed location, with Robin bound and gagged, and possessing what appears to be a nuclear weapon. Help arrives in the form of the original Batman (who had just returned from his time odyssey), who aids his successor and his son in their battle against the Black Glove and the Clown Prince of Crime in Wayne Manor and the Batcave. Then, the Joker apparently kills Dr. Hurt by infecting him with Joker Toxin and burying him alive. The second Batman pursues and captures the Joker, while the original Dark Knight, Robin, and Alfred Pennyworth disarm the Clown Prince of Crime's weapon and defeat the remaining Black Glove members. In Arkham Asylum, the Joker was bound in a straightjacket and muzzle, while been taking by corrections officers with a psychologist for answers, but they were being infected with Joker venom by an accidental touch of his skin. The Joker then freed himself and escaped from Arkham Asylum. Batman learns the Joker apparently attacked Commissioner Gordon's wife with Joker venom. Batman manhunts and locates the Joker's hideout to battle him. After the Joker is defeated, Batman warns him to leave Gordon's family alone, but the Joker reveals that he did not attack Commissioner Gordon's wife, the attacker was James Gordon, Jr. himself. Post Flashpoint The Joker is reintroduced as a homicidal killer being hunted by Gotham's police force in this new reality. His appearance in the new DC Universe has changed relatively little. After a skirmish with Batman, the Joker is caught and taken to Arkham Asylum. There, the Dollmaker, pays him a visit, which the Joker seems to have been expecting. The two have cordially arranged this meeting, and the Joker has assigned his visitor with a special task: he has the Dollmaker cut off his face, and pin it to the wall. Afterwards the Joker is assumed dead by virtually everyone except Batman, and hundreds of mourners have surrounded the GCPD building in a mock vigil, calling for Joker's face to be returned to them, and Batman's head too. Soon afterwards Harley Quinn learns of her puddin's 'death' and betrays the Suicide Squad by orchestrating a mass prison break at Belle Reve Penitentiary. Afterwards, she travels back to Gotham City, turning herself in at Gotham City Police Headquarters all in the hopes of stealing back the Joker's face. Personality Cruel and sadistic as he is, the Joker has a human side. Before his accident, nobody thought he was worth anything special, and all he wanted to do was prove his worth. Now emotionally scarred by life's tragedies, he merely desires to extend his amazing sense of humor to the point where people finally see who he is meant to be-a star. However, with Batman foiling his every comically-ridden crime, he feels he may never get that chance, so he attempts constantly to prove himself to Batman as special, so maybe the Dark Knight will leave him be. This is a false hope, however, as Batman will always be there to rid the city of turmoil, no matter how much pain it causes the Joker. Also, he even has his own code of ethics and honor, as during the Living Hell arc, he tells Warren White, aka, Great White Shark, that he's a bigger monster than he was, admitting that while he is a killer, even he doesn't steal from a child's college funds. He was also sane enough to realize when he actually committed a crime or not, as evidenced by the Joker: Devil's Advocate arc where he was to be placed on death row because several people had died of Joker venom from licking postage stamps, and he explains even after being sentenced to death row that he considered himself innocent of the crime because even he wouldn't stoop down as low and simply as just placing joker venom on stamps for people to die from licking it, and would have operated on a much smarter level given his credentials of a criminal mastermind, something that even Batman agreed with. Insanity The Joker's insanity appears to be a strange mixture of violently aggressive psychopathy, nihilism, and fixated narcissism. He has frequently been shown to have no regard for human life, and treats the pain and suffering of others as personal sport. While frequent attempts have been made to pin down or classify the Joker's 'insanity', none have been consistently proven successful. And every attempt to cure him has proven likewise completely fruitless, as the Joker actively and energetically resists separation from his madness. He spends the majority of his time in Arkham Asylum, a somewhat inadequate facility which he and other inmates have come to view as sort of a home. The Joker appears to be able to escape from the Asylum almost at will, and does so very frequently. He treats it like a resting place, to go in between his criminal exploits. During the events of "Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth", it was hypothesized by Arkham psychologists that the Joker actually exists in a state of almost "super-sanity". It is speculated that he redefines his own personality every day. This explains why sometimes he appears as a horribly sadistic lunatic one day while acting like a simple mischievous clown other days. One person who still sees some humanity in the Joker is the Martian Manhunter. When the Joker gained the Philosopher's Stone and tried to create chaos on Earth, J'onn was able to order the Joker's mind and cause temporary sanity, where the Joker expressed regret and remorse for his actions, and became desperate for a means to make up for them. In his transformation after his deformity Joker adopted a much more sinister personality no longer telling jokes the way he formerly did. However due to the Joker's nature of altering his personality he abandons this new personality from time to time, usually depending on the writer. Day of Judgment featured Martian Manhunter taking the Spectre into the Joker's mind, along with the rest of the Justice League. He is attempting to show the spirit of vengeance that there is decency and humanity even in the most corrupted and evil of souls. Although most of Joker's mind is a horrible twisted hellish place full of demons, deep down, at its heart, there is a kindly couple living in a small domicile separate from all of the anger and torment. This revelation proves that there is some good in all people. | Powers = * Unique Physiology: Due to his chemical submergence, Joker has gained beyond average advantages over normal humans as well as further exposure has tainted his physiology. :* Pain Resistance: It is speculated that the Joker's exposure to chemicals may have heightened his resistance to pain. It is also implied that he is masochistic in nature, and thus enjoys any pain received, making it an ineffective way of dealing with him. :* Tainted Blood: Joker's blood is tainted. It has been said that "being an avid consumer of his products, Joker's immunity to poisons has been built up over years of dedicated abuse." When a mosquito sucks the Joker's blood, it "writhes and whines, choking on tainted blood". :* Joker Venom Immunity: The Joker is immune to his own venom as well as various similar toxins. * Cheating Death: The Joker has cheated death numerous times, even in seemingly inescapable and lethal situations. He has been, among other things, caught in explosions, electrocuted, shot repeatedly, and dropped from great heights, but he always returns to once again wreak havoc. * Cosmic Awareness: The Joker has, at times, shown to be fully aware of being a comic book character, even directly talking to the reader. However, most characters ignore this, due to the fact that he is criminally insane. | Abilities = * Indomitable Will: It is debatable if it classifies as a super power or not, but the Joker's insanity, or his frame of mind, leaves him immune to the Spectre's judgement, though warranted, as Batman explained once that the Joker doesn't actually know what is right and wrong, a crucial understanding the Spectre needs to judge. In a way, one has to know one's deeds are evil or wrong for the Spectre to judge, and the Joker doesn't. Also, both Jim Corrigan and Hal Jordan Spectres have had major problems with navigating the Joker's mind, Corrigan even managed to get lost in it and Jordan literally was blasted out of his boots to the moon when he tried. * Genius-level Intellect: The Joker is portrayed as highly intelligent and skilled in the fields of chemistry and engineering, as well an expert with explosives. From his first appearance onward, he has been consistently portrayed as capable of hijacking broadcasts - usually news programs - of both the television and radio varieties. :* Inventive Skill: The Joker commits crimes with countless "comedic" weapons (such as razor-sharp playing cards, acid-spewing flowers, cyanide pies, and lethally electric joy buzzers) and Joker venom. :* Escapology :* Expert Strategist * Master of Disguise * '''Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): The Joker has moderate skill in hand to hand combat. Over the years it has been shown that although Batman is stronger, the Joker is faster and more agile. The Joker has been known to be able to hold his own in hand-to-hand combat against Batman, however every time he is subdued by Batman, it is through physical force. However, the Joker has proven to be very skilled in the area of martial arts as well, this being proven when beating the Batman once in a fight without "cheating". However, this skill in fighting can also be questioned, due to different artists having different reincarnations of the Joker. In some cases, he is so weak, that Batman can take him down with a single punch, whilst in other cases, he has proven to be more than a match for the Dark Knight. * Intimidation: Joker is adept at torturing his victims endlessly, including shooting Batgirl, torturing Robin to death and beating Damian into submission. | Strength = Joker possess the strength level of an average human male who engages in regular moderate exercise though has at times due to adrenaline surges surpassed his normal levels; Athletic. However, he is mostly shown to be of weak physical strength. Various DC Comics Who's Who publications state that due to his level of insanity, at times the Joker manifests a degree of superhuman strength. | Weaknesses = * Mental Illness | Equipment = ' being used]] * 'Joker Venom: A deadly poison that infects his victims with a ghoulish rictus grin as they die while laughing uncontrollably. This venom comes in many forms, from gas to darts to liquid poison, and has been his primary calling card from his first appearance. | Weapons = * '''Various Joker Gadgets: Razor-sharp playing cards, acid flower, various guns and other weaponry. The Joker is unpredictable in that he will use any kind of weapon afforded him. * Joker's Joy Buzzer: The Joker often used a modified novelty joy buzzer strapped to the palm of his hand. The buzzer administered a lethal dose of electricity into anyone who came into contact with it. | Transportation = * Jokermobile | Notes = * Rumors that his name is Jack Napier are taken from the 1989 movie and the subsequent animated series. There is no canonical source that indicates this to be a fact to the printed page version of the character. It is also speculated that his first name may have been "Joe", but once again there is no real proof of this. * In Images (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Vol 1 50), the Joker's first name is revealed as beginning "Ja--". However, just as Melvin Reipan is about to mention the name, the Joker shushes him, saying "We don't use that name anymore, remember? I'm Cousin Joker now." * In Dead to Rights (Batman Confidential #22-25, 29, 30), the Joker has his fingerprints taken, but the prints are just solid black blobs with no patterns. "Acid. Lots of it." says the Joker. His ungloved hands are also shown to have green fingernails. * The Joker has one of the most extensive individual body counts of any human level DC villain (notwithstanding incidents where entire planets are destroyed). * In the graphic novel Arkham Asylum, 1989, penned by Grant Morrison, it was suggested the Joker's mental state is a previously unprecedented form of "super-sanity," a form of ultra-sensory perception. It also suggests that he has no true personality of his own, that on any given day he can be a harmless clown or a vicious killer, depending on which would benefit him the most. | Trivia = * Nicknames for the character include The Clown Prince of Crime, The Thin White Duke of Death, The Harlequin of Hate, The Ace of Knaves, and The Mirthful Menace. * Rumored to have had a wife and daughter, both deceased. * In a miniseries featuring Tim Drake, the third Robin, the Joker is shown kidnapping a computer genius, and admitting that he doesn't know much about computers, although later writers have portrayed him as very computer literate. | Recommended = ]] | CustomSection2 = Related Articles | CustomText2 = * Joker's Body Count * Joker Venom * Joker's Joy Buzzer * Ace Chemical Processing Plant * Arkham Asylum * Batman * Gotham City * Harley Quinn | Wikipedia = Joker (comics) | Links = * Every.Joker.Issue.Ever - a fan project to eventually review every Joker comic story ever. Includes theories, discussions and analysis. * Joker article at Toonopedia * Joker article at Supermanica * Joker article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe * * Joker in Comixarium –Joker in Czech. * Unca Cheeks' Top Twelve DC Super Villains with the Joker "best explicated as a primal force of nature; as unrelenting and inhuman as a freak lightning storm, or a tsunami. He is a natural disaster, on two legs." * "The Joker's Origin" at DCComics.com }} hu:Joker (Új Föld) Category:Injustice Gang II members Category:Injustice League III members Category:Salvation Run deportees Category:Indomitable Will Category:Enhanced Intellect Category:Escapology Category:Intimidation Category:Arkham Asylum inmates Category:Cosmic Awareness Category:Cheating Death Category:Club of Villains members Category:Black Glove members Category:1940 Character Debuts Category:Criminals Category:Exposure to Chemicals or Radiation Category:Mental Illness Category:Gadgetry Category:Unique Physiology Category:Superhuman Durability Category:Toxic Immunity Category:Serial Killers